Maryland Lawmakers Consider Bill to Prohibit Election Spending by Foreign-Influenced Corporations Posted on February 5, 2020 (June 18, 2020) Challenging Foreign Influence Maryland’s lawmakers are current considering an important bill that would prohibit spending by foreign-influenced corporations in Maryland elections. Although the legislation is still in early stages, Maryland has taken an important step toward protecting the state’s democratic self-government. The legislation, introduced in the House of Delegates by Delegate Julie Palakovich-Carr (H.B. 34) and in theRead More
NEDC & Free Speech For People Issue Joint Statement on the Iowa Caucus App Failure Posted on February 4, 2020 (May 28, 2020) Election Protection Last night’s failure of the smartphone application used by the Iowa Democratic Party illustrated in harsh relief exactly why we should not use voting technology that is internet connected. The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) initially wanted to employ a smartphone app to allow voters to cast their selections over the Internet. Fortunately, smarter heads prevailedRead More
Our Testimony in Support of the Democracy For All Amendment Posted on February 3, 2020 (June 24, 2020) Democracy Amendments Free Speech For People submitted written testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, in support of the Democracy For All Amendment. The written testimony includes a copy of our Legal Director Ron Fein’s chapter, Fixing the Supreme Court’s Mistake: The Case for the Twenty-EighthRead More
Pacific Legal Foundation Blatantly Misrepresents Seattle’s New Campaign Finance Law Posted on January 31, 2020 (May 29, 2020) Challenging Foreign Influence The Pacific Legal Foundation recently posted a criticism of bold new Seattle law, part of a larger package known as the Clean Campaigns Act, that bans political spending by foreign-influenced corporations. Unfortunately, the Pacific Legal Foundation has blatantly misrepresented the law. In Seattle, the Pacific Legal Foundation may be best known for its unsuccessful (soRead More
Supreme Court Specialist Jeffrey Fisher to Lead the Supreme Court Brief on the Case that Could End Super PACs Posted on January 30, 2020 (May 29, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Jeffrey Fisher, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic at Stanford Law School, has joined the legal team for Lieu v. Federal Election Commission, the case that could end super PACs. Professor Fisher will lead the forthcoming petition for certiorari to be filed with the U.S. Supreme Court this spring. BackgroundRead More
Election Security Experts Highlight Major Flaws In Los Angeles County Voting System Posted on January 26, 2020 (June 18, 2020) Election Protection Free Speech For People and the National Election Defense Coalition recently submitted public comments to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, regarding the proposed certification of Los Angeles county’s Voting Solutions for All People 2.0 (VSAP) election system. The joint letter addresses the system’s non-compliance with California Voting System Standards. The letter states: We haveRead More
FSFP President Says a Sham Trial is a Threat to our Republic Posted on January 24, 2020 (May 29, 2020) Impeachment Free Speech For People president and co-founder John Bonifaz talked with KPFA (94.1) yesterday regarding the ongoing U.S. Senate impeachment hearings. Following party-line votes to prevent calls for witnesses Wednesday, Bonifaz expressed concern that the trial process itself is being rigged. “I think it’s still very much unclear whether we are going to have aRead More
Justice James Nelson On The Tenth Anniversary of Citizens United Posted on January 21, 2020 Democracy Amendments On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down one of its worst and most activist decisions ever. Indeed, in terms of harm caused and the likelihood for future harm, the Court’s decision in Citizens United is, likely, the most pernicious Supreme Court decision ever issued in our nation’s history. ARead More
John Bonifaz Discusses A Full And Fair Impeachment Trial on Democracy Now! Posted on January 17, 2020 (May 29, 2020) Impeachment FSFP President John Bonifaz recently appeared on Democracy Now! to discuss the Senate impeachment trial of Donald J Trump. The trial follows last year’s vote in the House of Representatives to impeach the President on two articles: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. During a discussion with host Amy Goodman, Bonifaz explained the gravityRead More
Free Speech For People Files Brief in Case Demanding Election Security Emails Posted on January 15, 2020 (May 29, 2020) Election Protection Free Speech For People filed a motion for summary judgment in National Election Defense Coalition v. Lawson, a case challenging the Indiana Secretary of State’s refusal to disclose election security-related emails exchanged with the National Association of Secretaries of State. Secretary of State Connie Lawson was the 2017-18 President of the National Association of SecretariesRead More